Insulation installation. Are staples really necessary?

[Moxiechick]

I just finished putting the insulation in our coop. Everything fits in snugly, but in the online video that I watched before tackling the project, the person stapled the paper flaps to the 2x4s. Is it really necessary to do this? I got this insulation from the Habitat For Humanity Restore, and had to cut ALL of it to fit. It was 23" wide and all of our gaps were narrower than that, so most pieces only have the flap on one side. I will be putting up some plywood and/or masonite to completely cover the insulation, so the girls won't be able to peck the insulation.
All the pieces seem to fit nicely. Do I really need to staple all the fiberglass battings to the studs? Will the insulation eventually shift over the years if I don't? I would love to hear from anyone experienced in this.
Thanks!

 

[The Sheriff]

I only stapled in spots where the pieces didn't fit tight enough to stay in place until the sheeting went up. My girls haven't complained yet! Good luck with your project.

 

[elmo]

Hmm, I remember reading about this when I was insulating my coop a few weeks ago. I seem to remember reading that the stapling part is optional, that you can just stuff the insulation in between the studs. I read this after I had stapled the dickens out of the insulation and my hand was so sore I could hardly make a fist with it. Drat.

Why not staple each piece in one or two places as a kind of "belt and suspenders" approach?

 

[AndreaS]

I don't think its necessary. If you had to cut each piece anyway it should be quite snug. If you have a staple gun you might just want to consider stapling the tops to prevent sagging over time.

Andrea

 

[patandchickens]

Repeat after me: It's a chicken coop.

LOL

Seriously, unless you are planning to invite Mike Holmes over for a critique or something, it matters a whole lot less what you do for a coop than for a house. This would be a good example of that

The main thing to concentrate on is getting the carpentry TIGHT and ACCURATE when you are sheathing the insulation with your plywood or whatever (I would not recommend masonite in a coop, although if primed and painted and you're in a dry climate you might get away with it for a good long while). It's important not to have any gaps, even 1/4", that encourage mice to squeeze through (or enlarge with their teeth til they *can* squeeze through). Believe me, mice living in coop walls is a *worse* thing than mice living in house walls!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[33yardbirds]

Some people staple the flaps inside the stud bays and some to the edge "1 1/2". Unlike the old rock wool, bat insulation won't gravitate to the bottom part of the stud bay. My self I would staple. It has a habit of plumping up then getting pinched between the sheathing and stud edges.

 

[MaureenL128]

The good thing about stapling it to the 2 x 4's is so it doesn't slide down inside the wall. It could do this over time and bunch up at the bottm, thus not insulating the right way.

 

[Moxiechick]

Lol! "Repeat after me: It's a chicken coop", has become our catch phrase while building this thing!

We decided to put in a few staples near the top of each batting, to hold it in place. While it looked pretty snug and secure, it is definitely not a job I want to have to "redo". We had a 4x8 sheet of masonite that we were going to use for one of the walls, but we were wondering if it would give us issues down the line. Decided that the less potential issues down the line the better! So today we went out and got some "undersheathing" plywood to use for the rest of the walls.
We've been figuring out this project as we've been going along. It has taken a lot longer than I thought it would, but I can feel that we are closing in!

Thanks everyone for your replies!